BYD #1 In World For Plug-In Electric Car Sales In 2017, Beats Tesla Again

December finally brought some serious increases in BYD’s plug-in electric car sales, which not only reached a new record, but also enabled BYD to become the world’s biggest (sales volume) plug-in manufacturer in 2017.

Because of the slow beginning of the year, total sales in 2017 were 108,612 (up 9%), but that’s still enough for BYD to take the #1 spot in plug-in sales in China (fourth year in a row) and for the world (third year in a row).

Many had hoped that Tesla would’ve grabbed the #1 for the year, but with just over 103,000 sold, that didn’t happen.

This is a testament to the power of the state in the creation of the BEV market. California, the U.S. Federal government, Europe, but mostly China are the parents of the EV. Not even Nissan, who arguably had the first mainstream electric car in 2011, can take the credit.

You can tell both your conservative and liberal friends, they are dead wrong.

They are both projecting their crazy conspiracy theories and corporate Global Warming plots, the garbage in their heads onto the complex world. They don’t understand that electric vehicles are a long-overdue inevitable historic technology change, where a far superior technology replaces an inferior one, when it gets cheaper AND better at the same time, like the electric light over gas lights, and the car over a horse.

When they don’t get it, ask them: If you really believe corporations are that diabolical, why don’t you buy a horse? Don’t sell out to “The Man” who sells you a car. Just buy a cheap slow horse and buggy like the Pennsylvania Dutch, and also enjoy using candles and outhouses too. 🙂

Congrats to BYD and as much as I like them this will probably be there last year on top as both Tesla and BAIC will most likely surpass them this year…
Also BYD is a leader in plug in hybrids and not BEVs which the Chinese seem to prefer and there will be many more companies selling both BEVs and PHEVs this year…
For BEV sales BAIC was tops followed by Tesla and then Nissan as a distant 3rd…

Let us not forget that their products include PHEVs and BEVs. Tesla tops the global BEV sales figures. If you drop the Song DM and Qin DM, you get a headline like this:

“Tesla dominates BEV global market, 80% more than Chinese BYD”

But, this turns into a PHEV/BEV flamewar quickly, and I don’t want to go there. The simple fact is that a PHEV is going to, for many drivers, represent an 80% improvement on air quality per mile/km driven.

2018 will read something to the effect of “Tesla stomps globally in plug-in sales”
or
“Tesla outsells Chrysler brand in units sold”

In 2018, BYD will likely be behind Tesla and BAIC. The BAIC EV series are currently sold at a rate of 13K per month in China. So I would say in 2018, Tesla 1st, BAIC 2nd, Nissan 3rd, BMW or BYD 4th (an no, all Chinese EVs are not all small golf carts for those stuck in the 20th century). Tesla will also continue to lead far in front regarding losses made. I bet at least 3 billion $.

“…all Chinese EVs are not all small golf carts for those stuck in the 20th century)”

No, not all of them. But in China there is no sharp distinction between low-speed NEVs (Neighborhood Electric Vehicles) and fully highway-capable EVs.

There are a surprising number of Chinese EVs which are in between the two categories, with a top speed in the neighborhood of 50 MPH.

China has an amazing number of tiny auto makers, which unfortunately is suppressing the ability of most Chinese auto makers (other than BYD) of growing to the size they need to be to be truly competitive on the world market. One reason, perhaps the primary reason, for this proliferation of tiny auto makers rather than a few large ones, is the way China’s prefecture (regional) laws favor local and regional protectionism, promoting sales of locally made cars but erecting barriers to those same companies being able to sell across the entirety of China.

Such local “prefecture” governments are a hold-over from the days of Imperial China — or even before! It’s going to be interesting to see if China can finally rid itself of these barriers to modern, international trade; barriers which are a Chinese tradition going back at least centuries and possibly millennia.

Another Euro Troll once again shows his Serial anti-Tesla bias and ignorance of Tesla’s fast growing capital assets like the world’s biggest battery factory and its growing market share of first compelling, long range capable BEVs and stationary power storage.

“In 2018 Tesla will sell/deliver more than 100,000 of the Tesla Model 3.”

We hope! 🙂

“In 2018 Nissan will sell/deliver more than 100,000 of the Nissan Leaf.”

Chances are slim and none. The highest global annual sale figure for the Leaf was ~60,000, and it’s been dropping since. It’s already going back up with the longer range (not surprising), but the Leaf still doesn’t have a battery pack TMS (Thermal Management System). Also, EV buyers now have more, and better, choices.

There is also the question of battery supply. Nissan sold off its battery factories, so is now dependent on the number of batteries that battery suppliers are able and willing to sell them.

Nissan chances are very good to hit 100k…
Nissan has no trouble scaling production and has three factories worldwide and sells the Leaf in most countries many of which have BEV sales steady rising…
Comparing a 24 to 40 kwh battery sales at the same price??
Comparing a freak show looking vehicle (and I bought one) with a normal looking one is also irrevelant…
Most places where the Leaf sells good are not Phoenix or LA so TMS does not matter as much and since they will mostly be leases TMS is irreverent then…

I don’t think Leafs even have an issue in LA. Have no doubt about it, there’s a big difference in climate between Phoenix and Los Angeles, or even San Diego which is further south. Southern California doesn’t have the brutal summers of the inland Southwest.

We know that BYD will beat Tesla, but they are selling both BEVs and PHVs. PHVs can travel only 30 km – 80 km (20 miles – 50 miles) on the battery, but the Model S/X can travel the full distance of 400 km – 550 km (250 – 350 miles) on electricity alone.

In a overall environmental perspective, Tesla with its 100% BEV sales overtakes BYD, BMW by a big margin.

I believe on 2017-12-18, BMW announced their 100,000 sales, no idea as what is their tally at the end or last year, may be somewhere around 104,000 – 105,000 and they should be #2 in sales with Tesla as #3. Again BMW sells lot of plugins with only 1 BEV in their entire lineup (i3).

BYD was founded in 1995, as a rechargeable battery maker. Perhaps you are referring to BYD Auto, the division which was created in 2003, the same year Tesla Motors was founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning (and not that Johnny-come-lately Musk guy).

“We know that BYD will beat Tesla, but they are selling both BEVs and PHVs. PHVs can travel only 30 km – 80 km (20 miles – 50 miles) on the battery, but the Model S/X can travel the full distance of 400 km – 550 km (250 – 350 miles) on electricity alone.”

A few older InsideEVs articles compared the kWh of batteries in PEVs sold, and of course Tesla easily beats BYD on that basis.

While that’s an attractive comparison to a Tesla fan like me, at the same time I think it’s unfair. If the Chinese market is well served by PEVs with an average lower range, then why shouldn’t BYD make and sell cars to serve its domestic demand?

On the other hand, if and when BYD gets serious about making and selling PEVs in first-world countries, then the limited speed, limited range PEVs that sell well in China simply aren’t going to cut it.

You might want to look at the models BYD are offering before implying that they don’t cut it internationally.

They are pretty large vehicles, top speeds of 150+ km/h, the BEVs have batteries starting fron 48 kWh and up to 82 kWh, the PHEVs ~20 kWh for 100 km electric range, 0-100 times from 4,4 seconds and most are below 8 seconds.
They also look good in general and come with the luxury most people need or want.

Hopefully they have made good use of their state of the art crash testing facility too.

It will be interesting to see when they decide to launch them in numbers in western countries.

BYD also sold 14254 electric buses in 2017, and those buses run much more than those Teslas with much more passengers. The average electric bus in China runs 100 miles per day with more than 50 passengers on it. If you count the passenger miles, it could be equivalent of 3 millions of Tesla
BYD is also selling electric delivery trucks, garbage trucks, etc.

BYD’s major problem is that their LiFePO battery is not very competitive for cars. For buses and local trucks, it has obvious advantages, such as better battery life and safety. However, LiFePO has lower energy density, and the voltage-discharge curve is too flat for the BMS to tell the remaining capacity, especially in cold weather. That hurts their recent car sales.

BYD is shifting to LiNiMnCo or LiNiCoAl for their all electric passenger cars. That would help sales in the future.

BYD is also getting smaller subsidies from the Chinese government because of that…
I beleive they have shifted their PHEV to a newer more energy dense chemistry that gets the full subsudies and are supposed to move their BEVS to it this year…